Reflection on a personal journey: learning journals in use

Abstract

Abstract The Dearing report (NCIHE, 1997) recommended personal development planning (PDP) to encourage students to reflect on their learning and plan their futures in a structured manner. The concept of ‘reflection’ is much used by education scholars and considered sociologically to be a feature of ‘the production of self’ in contemporary society. This paper describes how a conceptual framework of models of reflection was used to analyse the journal entries of first-year students of education. The analysis reveals that there are specific pedagogic difficulties in using reflection to enhance learning. Modifications have resulted in students being more inclined to draw on theory and to be critical.